Egg-case fastener.



J. H. SCHNEIDER.

ASE PASTBNBR., A P P L I A T I OOOOOOOOO G. l 44444 8.

908,61 v2. Patented Ja,n5, 1909. ,i f I] a y/ l i I Mullin* Wg; f lumi, ,.Illm um H2\ f auw v l||||w. A ,iw J

4 2f @W7/4M /f JOHN n. SCHNEIDER, or 'coT'frLEvii-LLE, iiissooei.

Specificatonof Letters Fate/nt.

Application led August 14, 1908. Serial No. 448,609.

To all whom imag/concern;

Be it known t-hat I, JOHN H. SCHNEIDER,

I a citizen of the United States, residing at Cottleville, in the county of St. Charles and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Egg-Case Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to shipping crates, and particularly to a novel form of cover or lid fastener therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, thoroughly efficient, easily operated, and durable fastener of this character, which may readily be applied to crates without requiring any extended change in the construction of such articles as are now in common use, and which shall be so constructed as positively to preclude the possi# bility of accidental unfastening when the crate is being handled and shipped.

Vfith the above and oth er 'obj"ects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a fastener for crate covers, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts Figure l is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through a crate constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrow thereon. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of a portion of one end of the crate.

The crate, as usual, embodies a cover 1, end walls 2 and 3, side walls 4, of which only one is shown, and a bottom 5. As these parts may be of the usual or any preferred construction, further description is deemed unnecessary. The gist of the present invention resides in the novel form of a cover fastener, the objects of which have already been stated. As shown in Fig. 1, each end of the box is provided with one part of the fastening mechanism. That at the end 2 of the crate consists of a cleat 6 that is secured to the cover in any preferred manner and is provided with two mortises or sockets 7 to be engaged by a pair of dowel pins 8 secured in the end wall 2. Below the cleat 6 is a second cleat 9, the upper face of which is beveled in order to permit of the cover being lifted sufficient to clear the cleat '10 at the other end vof the crate Vfrom the kend wall 3,

thus to allow the mortises 7 to be moved 'out of engagement with the pins 8. The cleat 9 as also a similar cleat 11 at the other end of the box, serve as hand holds to assist in handling the crate.

The portion of the fastener at the end 'of the crate closed by the wall 3, embodies the two cleats 10 and 11, the former ofwhich is secured in any preferred manner to the cover and the latter to the end wall 3. The cleat 11 carries a locking member or latch which consists of a length of wire of any suitable gage, one member 12 of which is disposed along the upper edge of the cleat, thence bent around one end thereof, and thence eX- tended beneath the lower edge of the cleat, the latter member 13 having a portion of lits length deflected at 1al-A away from the cleat, thence bent vat an angle t'o'thejlatter portion to 'provide a detent 1 5 'that is designed to engage with a socket or recess V16 in the under edge of the cleat Al1. The bend 17 of the locking member, when the latter is in closed position, engages a vertical groove or seat 18 in the 'end of thecleat 11, and is thus prevented from injury or from contacting with v any obstruction.

The member 412 which constitutes a latch, and by which term it will be hereinafter designated, is threaded through three screw eyes 19, 20, and 21 that are seated in the upper side ofthe cleat 11, while the portion 13 engages a single staple or keeper 22 seated in the under side of the cleats. As shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 when the latch 12 is moved out of engagement with the screw eyes 2O and 21, which constitute keepers, the detent has to be withdrawn from the socket l6, and in order to protect the cleat from wear by contact of the free end of the detent therewith, a wear plate 23 is secured in the under side of the cleat and is provided with an orifice through which the detent projects. The portion 14 of the locking member constitutes a combined finger hold, and a stop for limiting outward movement of the locking member and to prevent its accidental disconnection therefrom, the latter function being secured by the wedging action between the lower wall of the keeper 22 and the under face of the cleat.

The latch 12 is engaged by a screw eye 24 carried by the under side of the cleat 10, and disposed between the two keepers 20 and 21, the upper face of the cleat 1l being cleat 6 are then moved to engage with the dowel pins 8, and when the cover is properly seated with the screw eye 24 in the seat 25, the locking member is moved to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, thereby causing the latch 12 to project through the keepers 20, 21, and 24, and the detent to spring to engagement With the socket 16. It will be seen from this arrangement that it will be impossible for the locking member to become unfastened, no matter how roughly the crate may be handled, so that the proper assemblage of the cover and the crate body will be assured under all conditions of use.

As will be obvious, the only change that will be necessary in an ordinary crate to adopt the cover fastener of the present invention is to provide one end of the end walls with the dowel pins 8 and cleat 19, the other end wall with the cleat 11 having the locking mechanism assembled therewith,and to furnish the cover with the two cleats 6 and 10, the latter being provided with the keeper 24.

The improvements herein defined while simple in construction, will be Jfound thoroughly efficient for the purposes designed, and willresult in the presentation of a simple, durable, and practical form of cover fastener.

1. The combination with a crate provided at one end with dowel pins and at its other end with a cleat carrying a plurality of keepers, and a locking latch engaged with the keepers and including a detent, of a cover provided at one end with a cleat-hav ing` seats to engage the dowel pins, and at its other end with a cleat provided with a keeper to be engaged by the locking latch.

2. The combination with a crate provided at one end with dowel pins and at its other end with a cleat carrying a plurality of keepers, the said cleat being formed with a socket and with a recess at one end, and a cover provided at one end with a cleat having seats for the engagement of the dowel pins and at its other end with a cleat provided with a keeper arranged to lie between two of the keepers formed on the first mentioned cleat, and a latch member carried by the last mentioned cleat and having a portion engaging with the said keepers, a portion extending beneath the last mentioned cleat and 'formed at its end for locking engagement with the seats in the cleat, and a connecting portion which seats in the recess in the end of the cleat.

l'n testimony that l claimv the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aii'iXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. SCHNEIDER.

`Witnesses 'WM F. WOLTER, A. F. W'ERREMEYER. 

